A test mule of the upcoming all-new Mahindra S201 was spotted on Nasik highway recently. Mahindra will be revealing the official name of the S201 soon, ahead of market arrival by early or middle of 2019. The sub-four metre SUV will be Mahindra’s third such product after the TUV300 and KUV100. The S201 will rival against the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Honda WR-V and the Tata Nexon.

Based on the Ssangyong Tivoli, the S201 is shorter in length which would enable it to fit in the sub-four-metre category. The headlight is expected to get LED DRL eyebrows with the projector flanked by Mahindra’s characteristic toothed grille design. Most substantial changes will come at the rear, where the wrap-around tail lamps of the Tivoli will be replaced by sleek designed taillights in the S201. Under the camo, the S201 looks like a boxy SUV with its decked up bonnet. Even the tail lights are nicely sculpted high up on the tailgate while the rear windscreen is narrow, as seen on the Tivoli. In profile, the flared and cladded wheel arches, a tall shoulder line and the twin box cabin are also seen on the test vehicle. Moreover, similar to the Tivoli, the C-pillar will get a floating effect as well. And finally, the new alloy wheel design might be seen in the production model.

On the inside, the S201 will pick up a majority of elements from the Ssangyong Tivoli. This means black and beige interiors with ample presence of chrome and glossy plastics. The upright centre console will have an integrated touchscreen infotainment system. Given the competitive market which it will enter, we assume the S201 will be a good looking SUV with a features loaded cabin.

As far as the powertrain of the five-seater is concerned, the S201 is most likely to get both petrol and diesel engines. We expect the same 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine from the Marazzo, which produces 121bhp/300Nm to be joined by a 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. Both the petrol and diesel engines of the Mahindra S201 are expected to offer manual and AMT transmission options.

When it arrives in India, prices are expected to be around Rs 7-10 lakhs.